


Who's the Boss

by SXH1417



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Blackmail, Edge gets his ass kicked, Groping, Mild Victim Blaming, Multi, Non-con touching, Office AU, Sans being a badass, Slight Mention of Past Alcoholism, familial betrayal, non-con kissing, self-depreciation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-06-25 17:58:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15645981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SXH1417/pseuds/SXH1417
Summary: Sans works for his father, Gaster, as his assistant/secretary. He manages his schedule and appointments and assists him during experiments. However, Gaster has always had a bad habit of changing the schedule without telling him... Now he's at a charity event he didn't want to go to and an asshole he doesn't even want to look at.





	1. Going once... Twice...

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys. So, this story was written in the summer of 2016. I never got around to posting it because I thought it was a little too "out there" for you guys to like. Now, that I know you guys kinda wanna see it, I'm ready to post some of it. I still have four chapters to fix up and edit because two years of writing really changes your style. You guys may see some of the old style still lingering and that is because I didn't have the heart to remove it.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy, and remember, mind the warnings. Later chapters get fucked up.

_Dear Asgore, kill me now…_ Sans thought, not for the first time that night. He was wading through a crowd of people all packed together like sardines, trying to get to his boss. Oh and when he got there, he would make him pay.

He and his boss, also known as his _loving_ father, were here for a charity event that some new big shot was hosting. He was more than a little peeved because he was informed about the event only minutes before it began. It left him in quite a state of surprise because he had just come back from a date with cute purple fire elemental by the name of Chillby. His bartender had got through the trouble of setting up the date and he was forced to leave early.

The date was interrupted by Chillby’s best friend, who crashed in to complain about his brother’s antics and other things. Minutes after, Sans’s boss called him to inform him of the charity event. He didn’t have time to go home and change out of his little black cocktail dress that his brother forced him into earlier that evening. So, he attended the event in it.

When he caught sight of his boss, W. D. Gaster, he immediately strode over with half a mind to wide that damned smirk off his face. As soon as he was within range, he spoke as calmly as he could through gritted teeth.

“You are so lucky I am in a decent mood, sir. Otherwise, I would rearrange your schedule next week to include that meeting with Muffet you’ve been avoiding,” Sans hissed, his left eye flashing a dangerous blue. Gaster just smirked at him.

“Well, I suppose I am lucky. Though, I would expect you to be in a much worse mood judging by that dress. You look lovely by the way. Papyrus has always had good taste in clothes,” he commented. “But, I must apologize for dragging you away from your date.” Sans scoffed, not believing a word of it.

“If you truly cared, you wouldn’t have pulled me away in the first place. I told you about this date a week ago,” Sans said bitterly as he stood by his father. He scanned the crowd for any of Gaster’s associates, preferably his least favorites, to bring them over to chat.

“Oh, come now. If you were truly upset, you wouldn’t have come. I don’t necessarily _need_ you here. Having you here means I don’t have to message you about new phone numbers to add to my contacts or meetings to set up.”

“Yes, because it’s such a hassle,” Sans retorted.

Gaster ignored it and continued with, “So, what was wrong with him?”

“Typical. Why do you have to assume there was something wrong with him?” Sans asked.

“You wouldn’t be here unless you wanted out of the date.” Gaster paused to wave at a few people he knew, but they did not come over. Sans sighed with a little disappointment. He’d rather have this conversation with a cactus than his father.

“Our date got interrupted by his friend. Although, if you ask me, they seemed a bit more than friends. He was a bit of a _hot-head_ to top it off.” Gaster let out a small chuckle at the pun.

“Well, perhaps you could meet someone here to your liking?”

“Dad, no offense, but the only people here are old human men looking for a trophy wife, married men, and bachelors looking for a fling with a young thing.”

“Well, what about the men that brought their sons?”

“Ha. Ha. No, their sons seem like idiots who don’t know the value of a dollar or a piece of gold.”

“Fair enough. Still, I get the feeling you will meet someone,” Gaster said smiling. He stood up and straightened his clothing. “Go around and mingle a little, have a little fun. I know I’m going to.”

Sans stared at him critically for a long moment. _He’s up to something._ Sans took a champagne glass from one of the servers and began to take a drink as he watched his father walk away. _Smug bastard…_ Despite what he thought about his dad, he did care for him. Gaster was just so fucking reckless and careless sometimes. He acted like a young billionaire some days. Even though he had been attacked before, he didn’t seem to care. Sans, just to protect him, had hired a secret team of guards (Humans of course. Monsters just came in too big of a variety and would be spotted easily). True, he was getting better. He was being more cautious as his company grew, but that didn’t make up for his fucking attitude!

_Sometimes he just makes me want to wrap my fingers around his neck and choke him until-_

“Eeeh?!” Sans flinched, his body going completely rigid. Someone was touching him. Someone was touching him in a very inappropriate spot.

An enormous hand was on him and had started its journey from his lower spine and quickly traveled down to grope and caressing his covered sacrum. This bastard had no shame. With the evilest glare he could muster, Sans slowly turned to stare at his harasser.

To his surprise, the monster was so tall that his eyes landed on at the bottom of the other’s ribcage. His eyes traveled north to examine what had to be Papyrus’s twin if he ever had one. Though, the differences were pretty obvious. This guy had sharp teeth that could probably tear through metal, sharp red eye-lights, sharper features, and a scar running over his right eye. Everything about this guy was sharp… Sans didn’t like that at all. He was too edgy.

“Well, aren’t you just a pretty thing,” the other stated. Stars, his voice was deeper thank Papyrus’s too. “I don’t see many skeletons in this city, but you are by far the prettiest one I’ve ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on.”

“Remove your hand, before I remove it from your person,” Sans growled, his eye glowing a bright blue and yellow. Unperturbed by his threat, the stranger did move his hand… Only to settle it on his hip and pulling Sans a little closer. He caressed Sans’s hip and squeezed in all the right places.

“Now, now. There’s no need to be so mean. What’s your name?”

Sans’s eyesocket twitched. He twisted out of the other’s grip.

“Sans,” he said curtly, putting as much space as possible between them without being rude.

“Hm. There are many different Sanses out there. Judging by your looks, you seem to be a Comic Sans.”

 _That son of a… Fuck this._ Sans turned to leave. He stopped short when one of those large hands gripped his wrist and yanked him back into the taller skeleton. Just as he was about yell at the bastard, he found the other leaning down and kissing him.

 _Oh. Oooh no._ That was a tongue working its way into his mouth. He tried squirming and struggling against the other, but he was just too big. All the while, that tongue was working wonders in his mouth. One of those large hands came around began to play with his sacrum through his clothes. He held back a moan as the other played with his exposed spine. His body was twitching, trying to melt into the touch, but he would be damned if he let that happen. Sans did the only thing he could think of.

Bite that son of a bitch.

He bit down as hard as he could, unfortunately catching his own tongue in the process. The other yelped like a kicked puppy and pulled away. It left Sans enough room to push the other away and kick him on the knee cap. The taller skeleton winced and leaned down to cup his injured knee. Sans took the opportunity to punch the asshole in the face.

Sans wouldn’t admit it, but he was proud of himself. He knocked this monster right onto his coccyx, without using magic. He could see the guy’s nasal aperture start to bleed. Sans straightened his clothing as he glared down at the other.

“If you ever touch me again without my permission, I will break every single one of your phalanges and teeth,” he hissed. He didn’t wait around for a reply. He stormed off in search of Gaster. _The gall of some people…_

It was only now that he noticed all the looked he was getting from people, many of them were not so subtle. What the hell was this all about? He finally found Gaster around the bar chatting up a pretty bunny monster. He strode over as quickly as he could, avoiding any hands that might reach out to grasp him or cop a feel, thinking they could get away with it.

“Dad, I’m leaving,” he stated as soon as he was within earshot. Gaster looked up at his flustered son with a look of shocked puzzlement.

“Why? The event has only just begun!” Oh, how he wanted to knock that stupid grin off his dad’s face right then and there.

“I’m leaving because some edgy prick decided he could get handsy with me. He all but started to pull off my dress in public,” Sans snapped.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Who was it? I’ll be sure to make arrangements so that he can’t bid,” Gaster stated.

“Bid? Alright. One, you didn’t tell me this was an auction. Two, I didn’t stick around to get his name. I couldn’t exactly speak with his tongue shoved between my teeth anyway. I bit him, kicked him in the patella, and then punched him in his nasal ridge. And three –”

_“Ladies and gentlemen, the auction will begin in five minutes. All dates come to the stage.”_

“Ah. Damn. I wish we had more time to speak, but you should be getting up there, Sans,” Gaster said. Sans sputtered and stared at his dad in absolute shock.

“What? You signed me up to… For…” Sans was at a loss for words. His boss – no, his _dad_ had signed him up for a date auction… Stars, he hated his life.

“Oh, please. You would have done it anyway. It’s the best way to get some new clients.”

“Yeah, sure. But, most of these people don’t buy a date to talk about the business they run, Gaster.”

“You should hurry up and get up there, they will be calling your name out if you don’t go.”

Sans growled at being ignored. He turned on his high heels and marched his way up to the stage absolutely seething. Did everyone here know he was going to be in this thing? Is that why they were checking him out? Sans didn’t want to even think about sleeping with anyone here. The thought made him sick to his nonexistent stomach.

Once at the stage he saw yet another skeleton, the auctioneer. This one was short and looked to be a Comic Sans also. This one looked just like him, only he had light blue eyes with light yellow pupils. His bone structure was stockier and he was taller than Sans by an inch or two. He seemed to be fit as well. He was definitely a lot more energetic than Sans was. He called himself ‘Blue’ and when asked why he would blush a pretty blueberry color but not say anything.

“ALRIGHT! FIRST UP…” Sans tuned out Blue. He was the last one to go up and he wanted to keep his mind off this as long as possible. He scanned the crowd and barely kept himself from frowning. There was absolutely no one here he wanted to speak with, let alone go on a date with. The only good thing about this was that he couldn’t see that edgy skeleton anywhere.

 _Pulled from one date and forced into another. Just my luck…_ he thought sourly.

“NOW, WE HAVE SANS, W. D. GASTER’S SON AND ASSISTANT FROM WING DINGS RESEARCH. THE BIDDING WILL START AT TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS,” Blue announced cheerily.

 _‘Starting’? Stars, how much do these people think I’m worth?_ Sans felt a bit of pride in himself, only a tiny bit. Even he knew that ten thousand was way too much for a date with _him_. He may be an assistant, but he was lazy most days and vindictive others. He was always exhausted and in a bad mood. He was also a terrible comedian according to his brother.

“Fifteen thousand!”

“WE HAVE FIFTEEN THOUSAND-”

“Twenty-five thousand.”

“Fifty thousand!”

_What._

_The._

_Fuck._

Sans stood in place, more than a little dumbfounded as the CEO’s and other rich businessmen shouted out prices, going higher and higher. _I’m not exactly pretty, people…_

Sans could understand some of the monsters bidding. Gender didn’t matter with monsters. Humans, on the other hand, were normally disgusted by the fact that he was technically male in female clothes. Normally he wouldn’t dress like this, but his brother dressed him for any event he believed was necessary. Which, in Papyrus’s book, was any time Sans didn’t go to Grillby’s.

“Five hundred thousand,” a man called.

“Six hundred and fifty thousand.”

_Ok. This is getting a bit ridiculous. But, at least it’s going to charity._

“Seven hundred and fifty thousand!”

“One million.” Sans stiffened at the sound of that voice. His eyes shot over to where the voice came from. Right there, just on the other side of that bunny monster, was that asshole.

“ONE MILLION GOING ONCE… TWICE…”

“One million, two hundred thousand,” called a human male.

“Two million,” the skeleton monster said easily.

_What the hell? I know these are big shots but, who in the world has just two million to blow on a dumb date?_

“TWO MILLION GOING ONCE… TWICE… SOLD TO PAPYRUS EDGE OF EDGE ENTERPRISES! CONGRATULATIONS MR. EDGE, YOU WIN THE SECOND DATE AWARD FOR HIGHEST BID AND THE THIRD DATE FOR HITTING THE ‘ONE MILLION’ MARKER!” Sans’s eye socket twitched.

“What.” Sans deadpanned before he was being shooed off the stage by Blue. Edge was at the bottom of the steps in no time.

“ALL WINNERS OF THE AUCTION MEET UP BEHIND THE STAGE TO PAY, PLEASE. CHECK OR DEBIT WOULD BE PREFERABLE, BUT CASH WILL BE ACCEPTED TOO. EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO CONTINUE WITH THE PARTY. WE WILL BE AUCTIONING OFF JEWELRY, DONATED BY MS. MUFFET FELL FROM HER OWN COLLECTION, IN ONE HOUR. THANK YOU!” As Blue stepped down from the mic and off the stage. He passed by Sans and Edge, who held out a check. Blue plucked it from his hand with an evil little smirk. “The charity is going to love this. Thank you, Edgy.”

“Anytime, Blue,” he said.

“Also, since you donated two million, I think it’s only fair that you get another date with Sans here. You did hit our mark twice. So, have fun on those four dates, Papy. Oh. And try not to be…” Blue hesitated trying to find the right word. He apparently gave up and just gestured vaguely to all the tall skeleton.

“Really, Blue? I’m not that bad.”

“Well, considering my current relationship with you and the way I saw you practically molest this nice skeleton earlier, I think we can agree: yes, you are. Enjoy the rest of the party!” They watched Blue walk back behind the stage with a little pip in his step. He was instantly swarmed by the others who were paying.

“What is your current relationship with him?” Sans asked as he watched the other smoothly handle each person that stepped up.

“Ah, ah, ah. We haven’t even had our first date yet. What makes you think I’m going to tell you something personal like that?”

“The fact that you had your tongue down my throat isn’t enough?”

“You bit me.”

“You kissed me.”

“You punched me in the face.”

“You _touched_ me, without my permission at that. How's that nasal aperture feeling?”

Edge winced and looked away for only a second. “Sorry. But, you are rather gorgeous. I couldn’t exactly help myself.”

“Right,” Sans said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. “You won four dates out of tonight with the one skeleton who wants nothing to do with you. What now?”

“Well… We trade numbers and then get together to decide when to go on these dates,” he says. “I’m a busy man, and seeing as you are an assistant for W. D. Gaster, you will be too, we will need to find a time slot in both our schedules that coincide.”

“You will have to get with my dad about that. He’s bad about changing my schedule for me without telling me. I actually had a date tonight, but it got interrupted. Then he called me here. He was the one that signed me up for this auction.”

“I’ll make sure to thank him,” Edge commented, then wrote his number down on a napkin he brought from the bar. “Here’s my number. You will have to message me yourself. I’ve got to go and talk to Blue about some other affairs.”

Sans looked down at the napkin and then back at the tall skeleton’s back.

_Four dates… Stars... Dear Asgore, please give me the strength not to kill this monster before the end of it._


	2. Sans, you fool...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A closer look into the life of Sans and his family...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By popular vote on twitter, here's the update! I hope you guys like it!

“Sans. You Are _Not_ Wearing _That_ ,” Papyrus hissed, putting his foot down.

“not now, Paps. i slept too long and need to get to the office.” Sans ignored his brother’s little tantrum as he hurriedly put the bread in the toaster with one hand and poured coffee with the other. He didn’t blame Papyrus for it – he was a disheveled mess, after all – but his brother really needed to lay off. Sure. His shirt wasn’t ironed, his tie was draped over his shoulders and his slacks had yet to have a belt around them, but he was hardly known for being the best-dressed monster in the business.

That was Papyrus.

Nah. Sans was known for being the worst. He was labeled a lazy slob. Which, if it weren’t for Gaster, he probably would be. He often fell asleep during meetings due to sheer exhaustion and he’d been known to show up just about anywhere in the labs in only his pajamas before.

Sans popped some toast in his mouth and downed his coffee before swallowing the horrid mix, earning him a disgusted and horrified look from Papyrus. As he felt his body begin to digest the magic, he began to at least tie his tie before going out. Shoes be damned. He didn’t want Gaster writing him up again for not attempting to at least look a little presentable and not like he’d just fucked someone against a desk.

After his third attempt at tying it, Papyrus intervened. He snatched Sans up by his underarms with an infuriated, “NYEEEEEEEHHHH!!!!”

Sans hung there for a minute with a bored expression on his face and toast hanging out of his mouth. It was only a matter of time before Paps took matters into his own hands. Still, Papyrus just stared at him with a variety of emotions crossing his features. His mouth opened and closed many times, not a single word coming out as he watched Sans slowly chew on the second piece of bread.

In response, Sans deadpanned, “looking a little tonge- _tied_ there, bro…”

Yep. That look was replaced with irritation and audible teeth grinding.

“STOP RIGHT NOW. I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING.”

Sans smirked. “come on, bro. that one was pretty good. don’t leave me _hanging_.”

There’s the eye twitch.

“STOP. DESIST. ABSTAIN!” Sans’s grin widened further. Papyrus squinted, frowning down at the smaller monster in his hands. He eyed the other critically, watching that grin grow. Just as Sans was about to let loose the best pun ever, Papyrus interrupted him with, “SANS, NO!”

“sans, yes.”

Fuck it was gone now…

“ENOUGH WITH YOUR INFERNAL PUNS AND POOR HUMOR! YOU ARE GOING TO BE LATE FOR YOUR MEETING! AAAAAAaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!” Papyrus screamed, shaking Sans back and forth like _that_ would make him stop. The jarring movement was all it took for Sans’s slacks to tumble to the floor, leaving him in only his underwear, shirt and…

“welp. that sure _socks…_ ”

Papyrus crumbled to the ground in defeat, dropping Sans on his tailbone. Sans quickly got his pants back on and hurried to tuck in his shirt. Papyrus frowned disapprovingly as he helped Sans with his tie and his shoes. What would he do without such a cool bro like Papyrus? Once Sans was straightened out, Papyrus looked at the time and balked. He snatched up his brother and his suitcase and ran for the door. Sans’s ride was waiting for him there.

Sans was used to being practically thrown inside the car. If Papyrus didn’t do it, it was Gaster. What surprised him was when Papyrus got into the car with him.

“uh…?” Sans said dumbly, not sure how to ask. Papyrus never rode with him anymore. He normally took a taxi to his classes. Sans pulled out his phone. No, it wasn’t the weekend. And considering the time, Papyrus should already be in his Physics class.

“Class Got Cancelled Today,” Papyrus said as his only explanation.

“can I ask why -?” Sans flinched back a bit as Papyrus showed him the email he received on his phone.

“My Teacher Couldn’t Find A Single Parking Spot.”

“don’t teachers get reserved parking spots?”

“They Do If The Subject They Teach Is Related To Anything The School Is Proud Or Renown For. Physics Isn’t Exactly That Important In The Eyes Of The Deans Of An Art School. It’s Only Important When Learning The Basics Of Drawing.”

“oh…” Sans felt an awkward silence settle around them. Papyrus had a point about the colleges. They did tend to focus of treating the people that gave them more money. Still, something so small had affected his brother’s educations. He’d have to talk to Gaster about it.

The ride was spent in relative silence. He could only grimace a bit as they got caught up in traffic. He pulled out his phone and set a quick message to Gaster that he would be late. He was just about to tell him that Papyrus was with him when the thought occurred to him. He’d forgotten to ask why Papyrus was with him to begin with. He turned to asked when Papyrus broke the silence.

“So…?” Papyrus began.

Confused, Sans replied, “so… what?”

“When Are You Going On A Date With Edge?”

“how did you... you know what. i don’t wanna know how you know his name, let alone how you knew about those dates,” Sans snipped.

“Sans, You Have To Go On Those Dates. The Contract Is Legally Binding.”

“you mean the contract dad signed _for_ me? that’s called fraud.”

“And It Will Look Bad On Him If You Didn’t.”

“no matter how you spin it, it looks bad. it will look bad on me because he can replicate my font. In the eyes of the law, i signed it. So, if i choose so, i will not go and it will only look bad on me.”

“You’re Willing To Face A Two Million Dollar Lawsuit?”

“there’s always a way out of this. don’t worry. i’ll find one.”

“And Edge Will Find A Way To Keep You In It…” Sans didn’t want to question how Papyrus just knew that. “It will look bad on all of us if you didn’t go, Sans.”

“i’m _not_ going, Papyrus,” Sans hissed.

“Why Not? Edge Is A Very Nice Guy. He’s – “

“I am not going on a date with the guy that molested me in public, Papyrus!” Sans snapped. Papyrus flinched away in shock. Sans turned away and refused to look at him. “i don’t know how you know him or your relationship with him, but his first impression with me was feeling up my coccyx.”

Papyurs seemed unsure for a minute like he was trying to rationalize or understand what he was hearing. “Are… Are you sure it was him?”

That felt like a small punch to the sternum. Sans grit his teeth as anger swelled in him. Of course, he was sure. Yeah, he found out Edge’s name after the fact, but he knew without a doubt that it was Edge and he felt insulted that Papyrus would ask.

“it’s kinda hard to mistake him for anyone else, especially with his tongue shoved down my throat. unless you know any other Papyrus skeleton with a scar down his eye.”

They settled into a tense silence as they neared Sans’s work. Once there, Sans threw open the door and proceeded to get out, Papyrus trying to stutter an apology behind him. He didn’t want to hear it right now. He was hurt and tired and too sober to deal with this right now. He’d need to stop by Grillby’s later to get a drink. Maybe he’ll run into Chillby again…

He strode his way into the meeting room, waving a hand for the speaker to continue. They were all used to this, so it was no surprise. This meeting was about a possible partnership with another company. It had intrigued Gaster because the proposing company was a little… out of the ordinary as far as their usual clientele was concerned.

The proposal they got was unusual, to say the least. It was for possible methods of creating a magic food that would provide Magic Points instead of HP. If he remembered correctly, such information was lost during the Human-Monster wars around roughly 1500 BCE. The proposal came from a couple of Muffets – Muffet Tale and Muffet Swap.

It would be interesting to look into it again, but the question was: did they have the resources required? It would depend on which subsection of the magic department it would fall under. No humans worked in it, having lost all knowledge of how to use magic. Mainly the monsters in that division would study medicinal uses of magic for humans, due to a human contract they made recently. Something about a cure for cancer…

Sans was a researcher in several sections, including quantum physics, mechanical engineering, chemistry and so on. He’d been trying to find alternative ways to power the Cores. Solar Power would be great, but that just converts light into electricity. He needed to find a way for it to output more magic. Perhaps this material would be useful for the core itself, or perhaps the Core would produce it.

Shit, everyone would be all over this project and the product in an attempt to fix their problems. It would be a bigtime moneymaker. The Muffets were onto something.

Once their proposal was finished, negotiations began. Sans hated this part since, to monsters, it was only fair to split any profits fifty-fifty. Humans tended to be a bit greedier. When their Human council members turned to Gaster, they would be disappointed to find that they would agree with Gaster.

The meeting concluded with another scheduled meeting between the Muffets and Gaster to review a contract that would be drawn up in the meantime. Gaster gave Sans a pointed look when the meeting was over, telling him to stay put and not go anywhere. Sans did so, watching disgruntled humans march out of the meeting room while Gaster stayed to chat with all the monsters and the two Muffets.

Sans waved to the two Muffets as they drew closer to him.

“heya,” he greeted.

“Hello, Sans~,” Muffet Tale greeted but passed right by him to talk to a spider family in the corner. Sans grinned, happy that the janitors held true to their contract and not killed any spiders.

“Hey, Sans,” Muffet Swap greeted. “You look good. Papyrus has really been cleaning you up, huh?”

“yeah. my bro sure does take care of me. settled for nothing but perfection.”

“Papyrus got school today?”

“nope, got canceled. seems like the school needs a charitable donation to go toward building more parking lots,” Sans explained, making Muffet laugh.

“Sounds to me like some teachers just need to take a bus every once in a while. Not really enough space in the city for more parking,” she said. “So, I’m guessing Mister Man…” She gestured to Gaster. “… is going to need the usual tonight?”

“yep. lord knows he’s going to have one hell of a field day with your proposal. hell, _i_ can think of a few things this could do for us, but I likely won’t be put on the manufacturing research.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“well, my main focus right now is on the Cores. Gaster and i are the only experts on them and Pops is a bit busy with running the whole shebang. once it’s developed, i will likely be put on the research of its uses and possible benefits towards the Cores, if you ladies wouldn’t mind that is.”

“Not at all! If it can go towards helping monsters on such a large scale, then I wouldn’t mind it at all. I’ll make sure it’s in the contract that we’ll sign here in a couple of weeks.”

“thanks, Muff. yer the best,” Sans said, reclining back. Muffet nodded before going to collect her cousin and leave.

As soon as the meeting room was devoid on people, Gaster waltzed over to the door and locked it as casually as he would open it. He turned a bit gravely to Sans, which took him by surprise.

“woah, Dings. who died?”

“Ha. Ha. No one. I just… This is another big project we’ve taken on and it’s…” Gaster trailed off, mumbling under his breath.

“what was that? didn’t quite hear you there?”

Gaster’s face flushed and he looked away. “It’s getting to be too much on just me!”

Sans raised a brow. “don’t let Paps hear you say that. you know he’d quit school to help you in a soulbeat.”

“Not an option.”

“then what _are_ our options?”

“The only option is for me to hire a few more people, and section off some of the work,” Gaster stated. “Not only that, but the Humans are pushing me for pay raises, which I don’t understand. They’re making enough right now to sustain them, their family and then some. For Fuck's sake, one of our Council Members bought a fucking boat the other day. He _hates_ going on boats, but he decided that buying one was a good call.”

“hey, hey… just take a deep breath there. it’ll be okay,” Sans started, standing up to put a comforting hand on his father’s shoulder. “don’t worry about it. i’ll go ahead and take some time to look over some of the projects. Make a list of positions you want to create and i’ll post them up online, in the papers. i’ll even put a ‘help wanted’ sign out front!” Sans’s grin made Gaster’s mouth twitch up a little into a sheepish smile.

“Thank you, Sans,” Gaster said. “I know your availability is going to be limited soon due to those dates…”

“don’t worry about it,” Sans assured, his smile never faltering. “i’ll take care of it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed! If you would like to have a say on updates or to get notified about them, please check out my Twitter! It's @sxh1417 !


	3. Contracts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edge is not happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes the following: Blackmail by an abuser, Betrayal by Family and Brief Mentions of Past Alcoholism (if you squint). You have been warned.
> 
> This chapter is from Edge's POV.

One week passed, then two and then three… Sans never messaged him. Not once.

After a month, Edge was _not_ happy.

He called Gaster’s company and asked to speak with Gaster after the first week had passed. But, apparently, he was too busy to speak with him. Sans no doubt told his father what had happened and was trying to stall for time. So, he asked to make an appointment instead.

Gaster couldn’t meet with him for another three weeks. His schedule was booked.

_Crafty little bastard… I should have gotten his number while I was standing there with him._ Edge thought after making the appointment. _Well, I’ll just have to do this the hard way._

 

* * *

 

Edge was smug as he walked to the meeting with Gaster. He had done an entire year’s work in just three weeks. He put Gaster’s company in a bad situation, possibly close to bankruptcy. He didn’t regret it. They had to rely on him now to save their company. It would take several meetings and thousands of work hours to build the company back up enough to support itself fully again if they agreed. They probably would, considering his terms.

He wasn’t interested in the research company at first, so he didn’t have a problem tearing it down. But, he looked into the research projects that they had released to the public. Since his company focused on medical supplies, perhaps they could be of use. Now, he wanted to work with them.

He walked into the meeting room with his face blank. He greeted Gaster and Sans. He was surprised to find that Gaster had brought no one else. Was Sans also his leading business advisor? They looked a bit funny sitting together there in matching suits as well. They both looked sharp in their own way. But, Sans wore it better with the cute blue tie that had a bone pattern. Gaster’s was just a plain royal purple.

“Good evening, Dr. Gaster, Mr. Sans.”

“that’s _Dr. Sans_ , Mr. Edge.” There’s that bite in his tone. Edge just got right under his skin, didn’t he.

“I didn’t know that, my apologies. If I may ask quickly before we start, what is your doctorate in?”

“Theoretical and Quantum Physics and i have a Masters in Mechanical Engineering,” Sans replied with almost a sneer. He knew better. Best not upset the man with all the cards in his hands.

“Ah. Impressive,” Edge commented, leaning back in his chair. “Anyway, it has come to my attention that your company is declining, rapidly at that. If it continues, you will most likely be bankrupt by the end of the week.”

“you have done some extensive research into our company then. funny, seeing as that is supposed to be our job.”

“Indeed. However, I have a solution. I can help you get researchers back, lower the prices of the materials you need for said research, and keep you from going bankrupt. It will take some time, but I assure you that by the end of the year, you will be back to your former glory.”

“You don’t want to buy us out?”

“I already have, seeing as the prices of your shares had dropped dramatically low. I bought more than fifty percent of the company not an hour ago, but you already knew that. You were informed as soon as it happened. Since you both own twenty percent, I am the owner of Wing Dings Research.”

“I see… So, this meeting is about… What? You renaming the company? Why make a meeting with me and Sans when you could have just gone to the council?” Gaster asked.

“I can be persuaded to let you buy them back. Little by little of course,” Edge stated. “I will help you build your company back up to its former glory and once you get the money, you can buy your shares for the same price I bought them for.”

“Which was…?” Gaster turned to Sans. Sans’s glare never left Edge.

“ten million…” he muttered.

“Of, which I can actually shave a fifth of that off right now, if you would agree,” Edge said, his own eyes never leaving Sans. “Call it charity.” Gaster, finally catching on, whipped around to Sans at breakneck speed.

“You didn’t,” he hissed.

“i never signed any of that paperwork saying that I had to go on those dates with this asshole.”

“Son, that may be true but that was what he was promised. You can’t just _not_ go.”

“dad, you don’t understand – “

“I understand enough. Mr. Edge, if Sans goes on those dates with you, are you going to shave off that two million?”

“Yes,” Edge began. “And, if he works with me as _my_ assistant for two years, I am willing to forget about another two-fifths.”

“not happening, buddy.”

“Deal,” Gaster agreed. “Do you have a contract ready?”

“I do indeed.”

Sans watched in horror as his father signed the contract that was slid over to him. Sans leaned forward and whispered into his boss’s ear. “dad, this is the same bastard that practically molested me at the charity event!” he whispered.

“I don’t care at this point. I’m no fool. Mr. Edge is a powerful man. Your actions got our company into this mess. You will fix it, or do you not want Papyrus to be able to go to college in the fall?” Edge’s brow raised for a moment before the other two clarified that ‘Papyrus’ was Gaster’s other son, who was finishing off his sophomore year in college. Sans’s expression changed from angry to guilty the instant his brother was mentioned.

_Guilt tripping? Nasty move to play with your son, but always effective. I might enjoy working with this man._ Slowly, Sans took the contract and looked over it.

“Checking to see if there is a clause demanding you give me your soul?” Edge teased. Sans’s boney lips twitched upward a little.

“don’t have to. i already found it. different wording, but essentially it is the same. i’ll be working with _you_ ,” Sans stated. “i’m actually checking to see if you snuck a clause in here stating that i must have sex with you.”

“I would never touch you without your consent.”

“your track record states otherwise.”

“That was before, this is now. I might tease you, but I will not have sex with you unless you ask me for it.”

“Do I really need to be here for this?” Gaster asked.

“Not really, no,” Edge responded. “You’ve already signed the paper, so you may leave at any time.” Gaster did not leave until Sans had read through the entire thing, something he should have done, and signed it himself. They both signed three copies and Gaster left with one. Sans would file his copy away at their house. Edge stood up when Gaster did and held out his hand. “It will be a pleasure working with you, Dr. Gaster. Once this is all done and if everything goes well, perhaps we could become regular associates?”

“Perhaps. However, I will state now that we will limit what results we will give you. You are a pharmaceutical company, after all. Certain things we create don’t exactly go to medicine,” Gaster stated. He turned to his son, who was still seated. Sans had the look of defeat on his face. Gaster hesitated, seeming to want to say something. Instead, he turned to leave. Once he was gone, Edge spoke.

“I must apologize for the way I’ve gone about this, but you left me no other option. I will give two weeks at most to move whatever you need from your old office to this one, if you wish. It is also to my understanding that you live on the other side of the city. Inconvenient, really, for the both of us. I am willing to set up an apartment for you nearby,” Edge explained. After several long moments of silence from the other, he looked closer and noticed that the other’s eyelights were off. The sight sent a chill down his spine, unlike the previous times when dangerous magic was alight in them. It was haunting and chilled him to his very core.

“you know,” Sans began. “you did have other options. you didn’t have to blackmail me into this. a simple, _sincere_ apology might have won you those dates when you first _bought_ them.” Sans stood up from his seat.

Oh. Oh, good lord that was precious. He was wearing pink fuzzy slippers on his feet with black socks that had skull and crossbones on it. _Wait. Sans is saying something. Stop staring._

“…will have to decline. i refuse to leave my home for two years just because you want me to. that is not how things work, buddy. Also… I t w i l l be a p l e a s u r e w o r k i n g w i t h y o u.”

Edge stiffened as Sans walked past him. He could feel all the sins he ever committed crawling on his back. It was such an odd sensation to hear a person talk without actually speaking. Such raw magic to be used in such a threatening way… _What did I just get myself into?_ Edge wondered as he watched the other leave.

 

* * *

 

 

‘Sans…’ Grillby signed. ‘You’re scaring my customers. What’s wrong?’

“nothing you can help me with, Grillbz. unless you want me to start up my tab again,” Sans grumbled as he looked over the files he had ordered from one of his own informants. It was late at night but he didn’t care. He wanted to know all he could about Edge.

‘You know I won’t let you. You’ve just paid off your last tab, thank the stars…’ Grillby said. ‘You look as though you’ve drunk an entire bottle of cough medicine. Want to talk about it?’

“if you really want me to, could you please get me something to drink, preferably something strong,” Sans said as he flipped through more pages.

‘Sans, you just sobered up. How about the usual instead?’ Grillby offered with a smile. Sans felt the room get a little warmer and he looked up to see that smile. He couldn’t say no to that… Sans nodded his head in agreement. He watched with lazy eyes as his best friend went to the back. He turned back to the folder in his hands and sighed. This job was going to be very difficult, more so than with Gaster.

It had been only two days since he signed the contract and he was already regretting it. He hated when his father brought up Papyrus when dealing with business. He hated it so fucking much. To top it off, his father already hired a new assistant. It was apparently Edge’s old one. The two of them were just swapping positions for the next two years.

‘Here you go,’ Grillby said as he placed a plate in front of Sans with fries and ketchup. Sans looked at the food in surprise. He had only wanted a drink. ‘I can tell you haven’t eaten today. It’s already covered, so don’t worry about money.’

Sans’s features slowly slid back into his infamous easy but troubled smile. Sans placed the papers back into the folder they had come out of. He took the burger in his hands and took a massive bite. The taste only reminded him of how hungry he was. With such good food in front of him, he couldn’t help but finish it all.

_God, I’m turning into Gaster…_ he thought. He always took care of his dad, making sure he slept and ate at least something before going to bed or heading to work. Papyrus was the one that made sure he dressed appropriately. _What is he going to do when I’m gone?_ He wondered.

That was a good question but could have referred to two different people. In the two days, while he was preparing for his new job, he realized just how inconvenient it was to live at home. Edge’s office building was on the other side of the city and getting there would be expensive if he took a taxi. He would have to move out if he wanted to uphold the contract. Papyrus had made it his mission to take care of both him and his father. But, he would be moving out…

_“Whatever would you do without such a cool guy taking care of you?”_

“i don’t know…” Sans whispered, not realizing he had spoken out loud. His sockets were burning with unshed tears. He could feel his soul breaking at the very thought of leaving. Suddenly, he felt two warm hands on his shoulders. He looked up to Grillby’s concerned face and one tear slipped. Taking one hand away, Grillby began to sign.

‘You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. But, as your friend, I am here for you.’

With that same hand, he reached into his coat pocket and took out a handkerchief and passed it to Sans. Sans took it and pressed it to his nasal aperture. With a few blows, he sniffed and looked down shamefully.

“thanks, Grillbz…”

‘Anytime. How about I close up and we go upstairs to talk about it?’

That sounded so good right then, but Sans was exhausted. He wanted nothing more than to say yes, but his voice seemed to have given out for the moment. He nodded his head slowly and watched Grillby shoo out the last few people and close. He and Grillby were close, extremely so. They’d shared a bed more than once or twice in his alcoholic days. Now, it was rare. Sans wasn’t in the mood for sex today though. He just wanted someone to hold him. The very thought of being cuddled close in a warm embrace enough to make his eyes droop. He felt strong arms pick him up and carry him somewhere.

As his eyes dropped close and he began to doze, he said, “i’m so lucky to have someone like you, Grillby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I mention that this was my first ever fanfic for this fandom? Looking back before the edits, it was bad. Now, it's just damn dark. It was meant to be a comedy. :P
> 
> Anyway, thank you so much for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed! If you would like to have a say on what I update, please check out my Twitter: @sxh1417. (May Tumblr burn.) I will be posting polls up to see what people want occasionally or you can listen to me rant a little about life problems.
> 
> Note: To follow My Twitter, you MUST be 18+. If you do not have your BIRTHYEAR public, you will be BLOCKED with no hope of being unblocked.


	4. Not Exactly Perfect Picture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An even deeper look into Sans's family dynamics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more of a filler chapter for me, but I did explore Gaster's stance on the issue from Sans's perspective. No family is perfect.
> 
> If you guys have any questions about the family dynamic or Sans's personal thinking on his family members, leave a comment. I will answer the question in the next chapter.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy! Sad times ahead.

Sans quietly unlocked the front door. He was carrying his shoes and suitcase in one hand while the other one was in his trying to silence the jingle of keys. It was late. It was late enough that Gaster would have read Papyrus his bedtime story and Gaster would have gone to bed. He was a little disheveled and probably smelled like soot if anyone got too close. Closing the door as quietly as possible, he went to put his shoes up when he noticed Gaster’s slippers missing.

“fucking hell,” Sans whispered to himself.

“You look like you’ve been through it, Sans,” Gaster called from his favorite spot. He sat at the counter sipping some coffee while glaring daggers at his son. Why did he always have to pull that? It wasn’t like Sans was in high school anymore, sneaking out and staying past curfew. Then again… Sans did just try to sneak back in the house without getting caught. Perhaps old habits really do die hard.

Sans stared at him, almost as if he could read every thought running through Gaster’s mind. He was in for one big lecture. Not wanting to deal with it, Sans turned toward the stairs to the left and started his trek. “goodnight, Pops.”

“And just _where_ do you think you’re going?” Gaster called, loud enough to wake Papyrus. Sans winced but stopped about three steps up.

“to bed. you should take a page out of my book instead of nursing that coffee. Doctors said that it wasn’t good for your blood pressure.”

“Taking a page from your book? And why in the actual fuck would I do that.”

Aaand… Sans fucked up. This was going to be a bad fight. He could see it coming now. He and Dings were going to start a screaming match and yell loud enough for the neighbors to call the police again. Papyrus would get involved, and it wasn’t going to be pretty.

“You _knew_ better,” Gaster hissed. Sans gave an empty laugh.

“better than what? to go back to my friend’s and spend the night because i got roped into signing a contract to work with a man who assaulted me? or are you talking about endangering your precious research company? who here are their priorities straight?”

“You don’t seem to understand – “

“no, Gaster, _you_ don’t seem to understand. you forced me into an auction for a charity event with your own little motives. you wanted me to go on a date and possibly start dating whoever-fucking-knows just to get leverage for funding the research facilities. you wanted to use me as a bartering chip and it fucking backfired.”

“While most of that is true, I wanted you to start dating again because you are nearly thirty-five, Sans. You need to find someone and soon, otherwise, you will be too busy once I turn the company over to you.”

“that’s news to me. here i thought you were preparing Papyrus to take over because he is much better at management instead of getting lost in research like you do. you know i can’t manage the company, so don’t even try to guilt me into this.”

“Sans, you are missing the point.”

“no, i’m not. i am just unable to see your warped logic and reasoning. you fucked up when you signed me up for that auction.”

“You should have just gone on those dates and got it over with!”

“and risk being kidnapped and date-raped?! have you lost your mind?”

“Have you lost _your_ mind? Edge is a very respectable young man who wouldn’t-“

“fifty eye-witnesses saw him molest me in public, Gaster! _fifty_. don’t you even care about the fact that if he’d rough-handed me with even the tiniest bit of malice, i could have _dusted_?! or have you compartmentalized everything and conveniently overlooked that glaring fact? i could have died and all you care about is your damned company?”

Gaster went silent. Sans’s throat felt raw from all the screaming. At some point, he’d stormed his way and slammed his hands against the counter. He didn’t want to check the state of his hands right now, but they ached. He was panting and Gaster looked away, ashamed.

They took a few minutes to just stand there, tension bleeding out slowly to a minimum. It was still there, it was prominent. In hindsight, Sans didn’t think it would get this far. He didn’t stop long enough to think about what had happened to him to even fully understand his own words. He’d only just now realized he hadn’t just said those things to Gaster out of malice to hurt him; his words were true.

A broken sob escaped Sans’s throat before he could stop it. Tears started stinging his eyes. He bit them back, refusing to cry. The assault wasn’t that bad. He had just been groped and kissed. That was it. He shouldn’t feel as violated as he did. He turned his back on Gaster, wrapping his arms around himself because it somehow kept him from spilling unwanted tears, and leaned against the counter.

It took several minutes for either of them to say anything to each other. When they did speak, Gaster was the first to break the silence.

“I… I think it would be for the best that we are going to be apart from each other now…” he said softly.

Sans wanted to make a smartass comment, to pop-off and tell him how obvious that was. But, he couldn’t. He couldn’t hurt Gaster like that, he couldn’t make that big of an ass out of himself, and he just couldn’t. He cared too much… So, all he said was a soft, “yeah…”

After a few more minutes, the sun started peaking in through the windows. They could hear Papyrus getting up. Still, neither of them had the energy to move.

When Papyrus came down, he took one look at them before sighing. He took Gaster’s phone and sent a few messages while getting breakfast ready for himself. Once he was done, he herded Gaster back to his room. Once he came back, he picked Sans up from his spot. Sans flinched a little at first. Papyrus’s hands were just a little too similar to the ones that felt him up.

Shaking that connection out of his mind, out of existence, he clung to Papyrus’s shirt as he was carried upstairs. Unlike Gaster, Sans let Papyrus help him out of his clothes and into his pajamas. Papyrus tucked him into a soft and warm blanket burrito and gave him a skeleton kiss on the crown of his skull.

He barely muttered a, “thank you, Papy,” to him before Papyrus left him there to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Sans felt like shit once he woke up. He crawled out of bed and put on the clothes Papyrus had so graciously laid out for him. Thankfully, it was something comfortable since it was way too late to go to the office today. It was just his favorite NASA T-shirt and some sweatpants. His star socks were set out, nice and clean and even his jacket. Although, he still had to wear sneakers. He had to get out of the house at least.

He shuffled down the stairs, stress exuding off him in waves. He was met with the equally tired form of his father. Wow. He wasn’t the only one that looked like utter shit. Gaster was also dressed in casual clothes. He was sipping at a cup of coffee, probably ordered from Muffet’s. There was another one beside it with his name on it. Gaster scooted it closer to his with one finger. A small apology/peace offering.

Sans shuffled over and took a seat at the island. He took the offered cup and tipped his head a little. A small truce for now and promise to not bring up what happened earlier. Once they were done with their drinks, they looked at each other. Simultaneously, Gaster grabbed his keys while Sans got his notebook and a pen. After grabbing his suitcase, they both headed to the car. They both needed something stronger if they were going to proceed like normal.

Gaster drove them silently to Grillby’s. The car ride itself was not really tense. It had that permanent air of exhaustion, with the small traces of guilt from both parties. Neither of them looked at each other until they went inside Grillby’s and sat down at a booth. Grillby strode over to take their order.

‘You both look terrible…’ Grillby said, his flames hissing in concern.

“really? here i thought i looked like shit,” Sans replied with a tired grin. He earned two chastising looks for that.

“We had another rough morning,” Gaster explained.

‘Ah. What kind of morning? Are we talking about an espresso morning or malt whiskey morning?’

“Whiskey.”

“soda.” Gaster gave him a look. “quit drinking about the time Papyrus went to college.” _you would know that if you paid attention_. He thought bitterly. There was no point saying it though. The matter-of-fact tone said it all.

‘That bad, huh? Alright. one whiskey and one soda with an extra espresso shot,’ he said.

“thanks, Grillbz.”

‘Don’t mention it. I mean it. I don’t want people thinking that the abomination I’m about to make is okay or even a regular thing I have to do.’ Grillby replied as he strode away. The look of disgust on his face made Sans chuckle.

While they waited for their drinks to arrive, Sans turned to his suitcase and pulled out necessary papers. He turned over his copy of that damned contract. He didn’t even want to look at it. He pulled out the notebook and started making a list of the duties he still knew about. He looked after the Cores, supervised some side projects, managed Gaster’s schedules and appointments, messenger for Gaster, compiled documents, managed certain files. He did a lot.

“what projects to you absolutely still need me on, other than the cores. i am sure i will still have time to look over the statistics and data gathered from the cores. you will probably still need to hire a new assistant to help with it just to keep up with the overload. you will probably need to open up several positions in order to fill the holes.”

“More than likely. Although, I have been looking at a recent graduate. She had a hand in building the Blook Stars,” he said.

“That popstar and actor band that Papyrus loves?”

“The very same.”

“damn. she must be a weeaboo,” Sans grinned.

“Sans, be nice.”

“never.”

“She recently graduated with a Masters in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelors in mathematics.”

“perfect. she can probably help supervise some of the projects i was part of. she could also help me keep up with the fluctuations of the cores. can’t wait to meet her.”

“You might not get to. She is still a recent graduate and would need at least a month’s training before she went near any one of the Cores. I will likely train her to take some of the workload off myself while I then pick up some of your duties. The basic things could be done by your replacement.”

“the word ‘basic’ for you has a different meaning than for it does for other people. let’s hope the person replacing me has a masters at the care minimum,” Sans commented. “they can probably take over your schedule, some filing, and be your little messenger person. but if you run over the poor soul with a lot of work i may have to shoot you.”

“Always so violent. I wonder where you get it from.”

“i call it frustration, stress, and the lack of patience.”

“You soul color says otherwise.”

“that’s not something you should say in public, Dings. don’t ever talk about my soul color in public again. or do you want me to tell people your soul color.”

“Fair enough. I wonder how we are going to get the other positions filled.”

“i’ll see if i can dig out that ‘help wanted’ sign from the basement.”

“Ha. Ha. Sans, be serious. This is a problem we need to tackle.”

“no. i think it’s a problem you need to tackle, i have enough on my plate as it is. call it just a fraction of my payback to you for the situation i’ve ended up it.”

Gaster groaned in frustration, “Can we please not discuss this here?”

“oh, no. we are never discussing this again. you see. this is one of those family secrets that should have never happened. those that you quietly think about at giftmas and birthday parties when dealing with those unappealing relatives. but you never talk about it, because it’s just not what _families_ do,” Sans hissed. Grillby arrived back with their drinks. “thanks, Grillbz. Gaster’s paying. i’ve gotta run and prepare my office for the upcoming change. i’ll see you later.”

Without giving Gaster time to put in a single word, Sans was already out the door. He’s said his piece and he hopes that his father will remember it. He took a cab to the office and set to work. This was going to be his most productive day in months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy! If you have any questions about the family dynamics or the story, leave a comment, I will answer them in the next chapter.
> 
> This chapter was pushed up due to popular demand. If you want the ability to vote on what I do next, please check out my Twitter and follow to participate in other polls.
> 
> NOTE: To follow my Twitter, you MUST have your BIRTHYEAR public. I do go through and check. If you do not, you will be BLOCKED with no hope of ever being unblocked. I have blocked about 30 ppl so far, so please fucking pay attention.


	5. Assistants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans has a very productive and exhausting day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter won the 'what should I do next?' poll so here it is! I hope you all enjoy!

Sans had honestly thought that Edge’s assistant would be human, and a female one at that. He was proven wrong when he saw yet another Comic Sans. Only, this guy just so happened to be the one who crashed his date with Chillby… _Is this why he could deduce my font? Because he works with so many?_ This Sans had shark-like teeth and a permanent air of anxiety around him. He was a little smaller… Never mind, he was quite a bit smaller than he was. He was a head shorter than himself and had a smaller frame. He was jumpy too. When Sans first got his attention, the poor guy nearly leaped out of his skin. Heh.

Instead of business attire, they had both opted for what was comfortable. To his surprise, though, they had similar tastes. They both wore black basketball shorts, but while Sans wore a blue parka and a white sweater, this other guy wore a heavy jacket with a fur lining that was red, black, and gold and He wore a t-shirt underneath it. While Sans wore pink fuzzy slippers, this little guy wore sneakers with untied shoelaces.

He and this other Sans had gone to Grillby’s to discuss certain things the other would need to know when taking on each other’s position. Things like what to wear, to say and not say around them, what kind of coffee they like in the mornings, etc. Basically, tips and tricks to not piss off the boss and somehow get fired.

“heya. name’s Sans, but most call me Red,” he greeted nervously.

“heh. that’s _comic_ -al, considering it matches your magic. name’s Sans. Sans the Skeleton. But, most just call me Sans,” Sans joked back. He didn’t actually expect the other to laugh at his pun, but if it made the little guy ease up a bit, he would do it again.

“oh? a funny bone, huh? you’ll drive my bro up the wall with those puns. Just make sure not to go too crazy in there. I don’t want to have to clean up the place when I get back.” Sans couldn’t even laugh at the joke he was blushing so hard. He probably looked like a Christmas light. _Wait. ‘Bro’?_ “hey, you okay there? you didn’t stop breathing there, did you? you look a little _blue_ in the face.”

“wow. heh. yeah. i’m okay. nice puns by the way…” Sans said as he tried to kill his blush. “i’m not going to be sleeping with Edge. i can promise that.” Red looked him up and down for a long moment.

“don’t go making a promise like that,” Red said as he plopped down in a seat next to the bar. Sans raised a brow bone. “you look like the type that hates making promises. so, just don’t.”

“alright…” Sans began skeptically. “is there anything i absolutely need to know before i start the job?”

“yeah. a lot. my brother is real nit-picky. you can wear either male or female work clothes, but he prefers it if you wear the female ones. i don’t know why. don’t ask me. he also told me to tell you, no fuzzy slippers. did you seriously wear slippers to that meeting he told me about?”

“you bet your boney ass i did. those things were more comfortable than the shoes my bro picked out for me. just a heads up, my bro visits the office a lot. You might want to dress nice every day so you don’t have to deal with him forcefully changing you. my bro is cool and all, but he doesn’t exactly respect personal space, boundaries, and he doesn’t get sarcasm. he takes everything to heart, so hurt him and i will dust you in a heartbeat.”

“same for you. Pap likes Earl Grey tea, no sugar. he has a box in the lounge with his name on it. You should replace that every few days or so.”

“dad drinks his coffee black like his fucking soul… no sugar either, but one creamer. He is bad about taking and drinking the creamer out of the bottle so watch him on that. watch Papyrus too because he tries to replace the coffee with decaf. if Gaster gets a cup of decaf, it will be hell in the office for everyone, especially you.”

“your brother sounds like a dick.”

“your brother _is_ a dick. i don’t want to work with him.”

“then why sign the contract?”

“if i didn’t, my dad’s company would go bankrupt. anyway, Gaster tends to skip meals. Just call up Grillby to send something over and take it to him. get Muffet Swap’s when Papyrus is around. tell them both ‘the usual for Dr. Gaster’. they will both expect you to repay them later that night.”

“wow. sounds like my bro’s really screwing you over…” Red mumbled something that Sans couldn’t hear. Sans didn’t want to press it. If he wanted it heard, he would have said it louder. “anyway, i would say do the same for my brother, but he remembers to eat. Sleeping is his problem.”

“insomniac?”

“no. something else… he just doesn’t calm down long enough to. i think it’s his ADHD.”

“my brother has the same thing, but i don’t worry too much about it. it doesn’t affect his school work or really anything else, so…” Sans shrugged. “oh, when Gaster gets angry or frustrated, he begins to pace. to calm him down, bring him a cup of coffee and assure him that he will figure it out. if he continues to do that, it’s a sign that he hasn’t had enough sleep. if that’s the case, just start reading from the Theoretical Hyperphysics Puzzles chapter in the book i keep in my desk. he’s out like a light before you will finish the first paragraph, or second if you mispronounce certain words. he tends to correct people on that.”

“if my brother stays up too late, there’s a soundtrack i play in his office through the Bluetooth speakers. the list of songs is in the desk. you can download the playlist on your phone. if he’s not rubbing his sockets by the third song, give me a call. i’ll drop everything to handle it.”

_odd…_ Sans thought but didn’t question it.

“don’t ever call him ‘Papyrus’. if you call him ‘Edge’, it must be ‘Mr. Edge’. he gets _pissed_ if you don’t. ‘Edgy’ is for when you just want your boney butt kicked.”

“i heard Blue call him that, though.”

“Blue’s a special case.”

“got it… don’t call Gaster by ‘Wing Dings’ or ‘Dings’. It’s either ‘Dr. Gaster’, ‘Sir’, or nothing,” Sans stated. He checked the time passively. He still had a while before he had to go get Papyrus, but he still needed to go home and change. He needed to stop by Edge’s building today and settle a few more things. “i’ve got to pick my bro up from class in a few minutes, any last-minute things you want me to know?”

“yeah. _no dates_ ,” Red hissed. Sans’s eyes narrowed. “absolutely no sexy women or sexy men, human or monster in or out of that office if it is not strictly business. if they must go in, you find any excuse you can to stay in there with him. if you can’t, call me. i’ll take care of it. message me who they are and i will tell you if i know them. otherwise, nothing. if my brother has a date, it better only be with you. yes, i read the contract. i actually proofread it for him. you are not to come over and spend the night either.”

“understood. another thing you should be aware of. Gaster has a meeting with Ms. Muffet SwapFell. That meeting is very important. No matter what, i want you to make sure to schedule it at a time when neither can reschedule it. Gaster’s been pushing it off for months, he needs to get it over with, no matter how unpleasant it is.”

“gotcha. oh, as you know, no press whatsoever. if one thing is leaked from that building, you will be the first person I hunt down. am i clear?”

“no. you’re _red_. don’t you remember?” Sans smiled.

“heh. that was terrible.”

“tough crowd.”

“hey. i got standards.”

“your brother apparently doesn’t.”

“watch it. he has higher standards than me. but, apparently, you met them in that little black dress of yours. Pap can’t wait to see you in it again.”

“…… what……"

 

* * *

 

 

Sans got into his car with a frustrated sigh. Red was good company and he could see them being good friends in the future, but all the little jabs about him and Edge were wearing him thin. Taking a deep breath, he drove home to get the change of clothes that Papyrus had for him. It was a simple navy suit this time, with a light orange tie. Sans reluctantly changed his footwear to something more acceptable and left again.

Sans picked up Papyrus from campus and took him to Grillby’s for a milkshake. They took it to go, seeing as the other hated the place. He decided that he should go ahead and give Papyrus a severely condensed rundown of what was going to happen for the next two years. He left a few key details out that his brother didn’t need to know.

_What the fuck am I supposed to tell him anyway? ‘Oh, yeah, this guy is the one that tore down the company and blackmailed me.’ Yeah._ That _would smooth over real well._

Papyrus was… upset to say the least.

“You’re not going.”

“er… what?”

“You’re. Not. Going,” Papyrus replied vehemently.

“Paps, it’s not up for discussion. i have to,” Sans replied, a little taken aback by Papyrus’s passion. “the contract has already been signed and copies made. besides, the money we make from the company pays for everything we have, including the money your scholarships didn’t cover for tuition.”

Papyrus went silent, sipping angrily from his drink.

“i don’t like it any more than you do, bro. personally, i want to shove that contract right up Edge’s stuck up ass if there weren’t already a stick there…” Sans muttered toward the end. “i don’t want to leave… but i don’t have a choice. i am already looking for apartments that are midway between the house and Edge’s office.”

Papyrus rumbled unhappily, blowing bubbled into his drink in the process. It was obvious he didn’t want Sans to go, but at least he understood that it was for the good of the company.

“I get to pick the apartment,” Papyrus said. “You wouldn’t know good taste if it bit you in the coccyx.”

Sans gasped a little, looking at Papyrus. “Papyrus! language!”

Papyrus waved it off, thankfully leaving the apartment talk lie for a bit.

“well, it won’t be too terrible without me there. Edge’s brother is going to replace me. he’s another Comic Sans, so there will be no shortage of puns. just go easy on the little guy. he’s jumpy at best,” Sans said. The poor guy was just concentrated anxiety when around people he wasn’t comfortable with.

“That won’t be an issue. The Great Papyrus is excellent at accommodation!” Papyrs stated proudly, making Sans snort.

“sure, bro,” Sans commented skeptically. Sans knew he didn’t need to worry. He didn’t know anyone who didn’t calm down when looking at that smile. “alright. here’s your stop. have fun with fish-bitch!”

“SANS, THAT’S HORRIBLE!” Papyrus chastised, smiling.

“yer smiling.”

“I AM, AND I HATE IT!”

Once Papyrus was inside the house, Sans drove away. He decided to get an idea of the route he would have to take to get to his new workplace. The one he found wasn’t too terrible, but it wasn’t too great either. It was the shortest one without going through some anti-monster places. Why some humans felt the need to discriminate against anything different from them was beyond him…

He made it to his new workplace in relatively good time. Maybe he wouldn’t have to move…? He hoped not. He would miss reading his brother his bedtime story every night. Even if it didn’t put the other to sleep, it was time spent with his brother that he didn’t otherwise get.

After going through god knows how many security guards and metal detectors, he walked into the main lobby. The receptionist smiled brightly at him but faltered for a moment.

“Hello! Welcome to Edge Enterprises, how may I help you today, sir?”

“i’m the new assistant for Mr. Edge. i know i don’t start for another day or two, but i want to go ahead and move some of my stuff into my desk,” he replied. The other’s brow furrowed. The man was about to open his mouth to say something when the phone rang.

“One moment,” he said and picked it up. Sans felt a little irritated at being brushed off. “Oh! Mr. Red, how may I help you?” There was a pause and the receptionist pulled away to hit the speaker button on the settings.

“ _hey, Sans, can you hear me?_ ”

“loud and clear, Big Red,” Sans replied automatically. There was a snort on the other side.

“ _i figured you might already be there. i wanted to call and let you know that he’s legit, Johnny. he’s the new assistant. if you checked your email every now and then, you would already know that._ ” The receptionist flushed and sputtered.

“S-s-sorry, Mr. Red. It won’t happen again!” he said. Red scoffed and hung up the phone without another word. Johnny turned to Sans smiled a bit uncomfortably. “I’m sorry, sir. We have a bit of a reporter problem here. We’ve been careful to let just anyone in. But, I’ll go ahead and get you your keycard.”

Taking a set of keys out, the man opened up his desk and pulled out a lockbox. He unlocked the box with a different key. He plucked out a blank card and took it into the room behind his desk. He came back out with the card, only now it had his name, Worker’s ID Number, and a picture he is sure his dad sent over. Johnny handed the keycard with another key over to Sans.

“There you are. You will need to use that card on all the doors in the building, except for the bathrooms of course. You need this key to get to the floor where Mr. Edge’s office is. The top floor key, however, is the only one I do not have. Mr. Edge will have to give it to you himself on your first day or whenever he decided to give it to you.”

“wait, Edge’s office is not on the top floor?”

“Mr. Edge’s office, no. The top floor is only accessible through a staircase in his office. He is a very private person, Mr. Sans.”

“it’s Dr. Sans. thank you, Johnny. I’ll head go ahead and head up there,” he stated.

“Wait.” Sans did just that. Johnny’s fingers typed away on the keyboard and he clicked his tongue. “Okay. Today is not the best day. Mr. Edge is in an important meeting with his lawyer. He’s seemed to put out a note saying that he doesn’t wish to be disturbed afterward.”

“who is his lawyer?”

“Nigel Miller. He’s one of the best lawyers out there. It doesn’t say here what the meeting is about. Well, it is none of my business anyway. Perhaps it would be best if you came back tomorrow or even when you begin work?”

“okay. sure thing. it was a pleasure meeting you, Johnny.”

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Dr. Sans,” he replied.

As Sans turned to leave, he shot Red a message, telling him that he wasn’t coming up. He had other things to do first, such as schedule Gaster for more meetings with the unpleasant people he’d been avoiding.

 

* * *

 

 

“Johnny… little piece of… ugh!” Red muttered as he sat down at Grillby's bar, next to Sans.

“woah there, big guy, what’s got you all fired up like a dash of hot pepper,” Sans teased but noticed that now was not the time. Red ignored his comment completely and ordered two drinks. “dude, doncha think it’s a little early to be drinkin’?”

“it’s five o’clock somewhere,” Red muttered before downing his fire elemental grade whiskey. “besides, i know my limits. not like i’m drivin’.”

“still… what’s eating at you? something about Johnny?” Sans asked, taking a sip of his soda. Ketchup was for good days and bad days.

“hey, Grillbz, mind throwing sum mustard this way?” Red called before turning to Sans. “nah. never Johnny. he’s a good kid who’s just doing his job. someone else has pissed me off today.”

“wanna tell me about it. i’m no ears,” Sans smirked. Red grinned and thanked Grillby once the elemental handed him his mustard.

Then his smile faltered like he was hesitant to talk about it. “someone fucked up Edge’s schedule behind my back. it’s why you weren’t able to get yer key today. thankfully, he sent me to bring it to you.” Red dug around in his pocket for a minute before sliding the key over to Sans.

“that’s awful… thank you, Red, but it was no problem. i would have been more than happy to have stopped by another time.”

“no, no, no. you need that to start moving some stuff in. i also needed to tell ya a few things before you find out for yourself.”

Sans’s brow furrowed. That… didn’t sound good. Sans felt more unease about this job creep up his spine. “…what is it?”

“it’s nothin’ too terrible, just that Nigel, my bro’s lawyer, is a family friend and well… he’s a bit protective of my bro. just… word of advice. just go on those dates with him, but nothing more, a’ight,” Red said. San’s frown deepened.

“wasn’t plannin’ on it. _ever_. but, thanks for the warning i guess…” Sans turned back to his food, thinking. His small feeling of dread deepened. He had a feeling he didn’t want to get on anyone’s bad side in this company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed! Thank you for reading! Don't be afraid to tell me what you think in a comment!
> 
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**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! There may or may not be another upload this week, I am still not sure, but if you want to see faster uploads, check out my Tumblr at https://sxh1417.tumblr.com/ !


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